Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Gelato Ti Amo - Love at First Bite

Wild berry sorbet

I worked on Memorial Day. The assignment involved food. A private gelato tasting to be exact. Someone had to be the first to report on the East Village's new Gelato Ti Amo, the only US outpost of this small, Italian chain.

Co-owner Luca Meacci spoke to me as he worked a small batch into its final stage, softening thick, creamy ribbons of` hazelnut gelato, pausing to add whole nuts along the way.

All 20-25 traditional flavors are made on the premises, using all natural, seasonal ingredients. So the colorant free-pistachio, won't be mint green, but a soft beige from using the finest Italian pistachios from Bronte. Results yield a just sweet enough dessert that allows the soft nuttiness to shine.

Decadent cheesecake gelato

One flavor created in honor of the New York opening is cheesecake. My first bite left me wondering how to refrain from becoming addicted to the sweet, strawberry swirls. It really does taste like cheesecake, thanks in part to a proprietary cream cheese-like ingredient.

Gelato dates back to the Renaissance. The technique uses few ingredients and differs from ice cream in three main ways: a lower butterfat content, a slower churn and a lower storing temperature. The result is a denser, creamier consistency with more intense flavor.

A handful of non-dairy (and non-fat) sorbets taste equally rich and luscious. The outstanding lemon is intense and refreshing. And the mango tastes just picked.
All of the packaging is biodegradable from the spoons to the cups ($3.80 - $7.30) and elegant to go containers ($12.80 - $25.80).